Your Baby at Week 17

At a Glance

Your little one is practicing sucking and swallowing as she gets ready for the real thing: a breast or bottle!

Baby Can Hear You!

Baby's sense of hearing is making big strides this week. Her ears are close to being fully formed and she's starting to be able to hear your voice.

Warming Up

Fat stores are beginning to develop under your baby's skin. This provides energy and will help keep your little one warm (and cute) after birth.

Baby's Practicing Sucking and Swallowing

My, how your baby has grown! Your little one weighs about five or more ounces and is the size of your palm, or around five inches long. Body fat (baby's, that is) is beginning to form and will continue to accumulate through the end of your pregnancy (join the club, baby!). Baby's heart is now regulated by the brain (no more random beats) and is churning out 140 to 150 beats per minute — about twice as fast as yours. And since practice makes perfect, your baby is sharpening his sucking and swallowing skills in preparation for that first (and second…and third) suckle at your breast or the bottle. In fact, most of the survival reflexes your baby will have at birth are being perfected in utero right now.

Fingerprints Are Forming

Here's some proof that your baby is truly one of a kind (as if you needed any!). Within the next week or so, the pads on your baby's fingertips and toes will become adorned with completely individual swirls and creases, aka fingerprints.

Hey Mom…It might be time for a high-five, because that’s how big your baby is this week — the size of your open palm. At a less-than-whopping three and a half ounces, your little one is starting to layer on some body fat, though she’s got a long way to go before she’s anywhere approaching plump.

From here on out your baby will accumulate fat until it makes up about one-third of her weight. That means by the time she makes her big debut, this skinny Minnie will be a relatively chubby cherub. But she’s not all lightweight. This week marks the first time your baby is bigger in size than the placenta that’s nourishing her. Now that’s something to brag about!

In other news, baby’s feisty little ticker is going full speed ahead thanks to another development this week. Until now, your wee one’s heartbeat was spontaneous and irregular. Now, her brain is in the driver’s seat, regulating her heart rate to 140 or 150 beats per minute. Take a listen — that steady sound will make your own heart sing.

Regularity is the name of the game these days as your precocious pupil is hard at work honing some key skills for her big debut. That includes making up and down movements of the chest wall in preparation for breathing actual air when the time comes. Sucking and swallowing sessions also make up a good part of her daily schedule now — and that’s a good thing. This way she won’t miss a beat when it’s time for that first delicious mom-made meal.

Your Body at Week 17

Now that you're starting to show, chances are that friends, coworkers and even strangers may feel the urge to reach out and touch your tummy. If you don't mind, that's fine. But if you do, speak up kindly but firmly. More new developments with your body: a slight vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) and a greater sensitivity to allergens these days — both are totally normal.

Your Growing Appetite

Remember when you were so queasy you could barely stomach ginger ale and a cracker? Happily, your toilet-hugging days (and nights) are probably over. And happily (and hungrily) these days it's more likely that you can't get enough to eat. For most women, the second trimester not only brings relief from morning sickness but also a hearty appetite. Don't be surprised if you suddenly feel hungry enough to polish off a sizable cut of steak or a whole tray of baked ziti at 17 weeks pregnant.

What's behind your increase in appetite? Simple — you're taking signals from your baby, who's getting bigger and hungrier. Not sure exactly how much weight you should gain during pregnancy? Talk to your practitioner, who will be able to help you maintain a healthy weight gain (he or she can also help you play weight gain catch-up if you didn't gain enough or lost weight during the first trimester). Then check out What to Expect's guide to healthy eating during pregnancy — to make sure that both you and baby are getting the fuel you need to nourish your growing bodies.

Stopping Snoring

One inexplicable pregnancy symptom? Snoring! But take heart: The stuffiness that often triggers world-champion snoring is common — and temporary. (That's right, even your nose is affected by pregnancy hormones!) Try putting a humidifier in your bedroom, using one of those nasal strips on your nose to open up your nasal passages, or sleeping on a couple of pillows to keep your head slightly elevated. (And if your partner complains? Banish him or her to the sofa for the night — it's more important that you get a good night's sleep.)

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 17

Does your appetite seem insatiable these days? That’s because your growing baby is demanding more nourishment. Listen to your hunger pangs and eat when you need to; try to choose foods that fill you up and meet your nutrient needs (high-fiber grains, produce and lean protein). Read More

Whether hormones, fatigue, tension or some other culprit causes your headaches, it’s usually okay to take acetaminophen during pregnancy to alleviate the pain. But check with your practitioner first. Read More

Ease this common pregnancy symptom by making sure you have a supportive chair at work and a firm mattress at home. Otherwise, get a cushion for your chair to place behind your back so you can keep your posture in line and place a board underneath your mattress to firm it up. Read More

This badge of pregnancy is hereditary — so if you start finding some stretch marks on your body, it may be because your mother had them too. But if you gain weight at a steady rate (instead of in big spurts), this may keep the stretching gradual and, as a result, less extreme. Read More

Tips for You This Week

Hormones and milk-producing glands are developing to prepare for nursing. All of this activity, plus an increase in blood flow, can boost breast size up to three cups!

If you feel periodic pain in your legs, it’s likely due to baby placing pressure on the sciatic nerve that runs under the uterus to the legs. Try a heating pad or back stretches to ease the pain.

A loose tooth?! Hormones can affect the ligaments and bones in your mouth, loosening the teeth and sometimes even causing them to fall out. This stops post-baby, but if you have periodontitis, see the dentist now.

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From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Health information on this site is based on peer-reviewed medical journals and highly respected health organizations and institutions including ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), as well as the What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff.